Lime spreader



Aug. 15, 1950 Filed Jan. 9, 1946 J. M. MARKEL 2,518,802

LIME SPREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiy'z W 27 Wm// 7341- ya Ma 24? 1950 J.M. MARKEL 2,518,802

LIME SPREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1946 I I I l l 1;

will 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1950 "John M. Markel,'--Rockford, IlL,assignor'to'il. I. Case 'Company, Racine, Wis., 'a corporation oiWisconsin Application] anuary. 9, 1946, SerialfN0. 640,00'4

IClaims.

My invention relates 'to lime spreaders 'ior 1ertilizers such as'lime'orthe-like". More particularly, my invention is-concerned withimprovements in lime spreaderscombined *with manure spreader equipment.

An ordinary form of manure spreader "com-- prises a spreaderbox'mounted-on a-wagon. This box extends from the front of the wagon to"the point in the rear where *the lime spreader-is mounted. Thespreader'box'is equipped witha 10 chain raddle type'conveyor whereinchains are placed along each of the longitudinal sides of the spreaderbox. These chains are equipped with slats or angle irons which extend"transversely over the spreaderbox 'fioor. "I'heconveyor is commonlyactuated'by means of a'sprocket wheel device which inturn isoperatedby-"the rear wheels of thespreader. 'Asthe'materi'aLis fed fromthe frontto therearof the wagon by means of the angles of theconveyon-itis'thereby brought in contact with a beater. This beater inthe case of a manure spreader may comprise a cage rotatable about a='transverse horizonta1 axis which delivers the material to 1 a--widespread or distributing rotor. 'The beater an'd' the "clis--manneras to leave'a'spaceib'etween theiadjacent slats of theconveyorcand:theteeth ofithecbeater. In a. manure spreader thelbeater.is/usually positionedto the rear and'adjacent therdelivery end of theconveyorin suchazm'anner thatthematerial coming fromtheiconveyoristakenz'up'zbyathe 40 beater and, in 'viewof the z-stringy:flbrousmature of the material, .no appreciable irquantity' escapesbetween the conveyorand -the beater.

The physica1 action-.01 ground :or :pulverized lime is entirely..different from that 101 xmenure material, and in view ofthisdifierenceinrphysli-- cal properties it :is necessary :to devise means of avoidinglime spillage at the point between the end of theconveyonandatheabeater. ;I.-h'ave also found .that .the :finenessz:-;andidispersedzilorm of the limemakescitinecessaryitozprovide asmeans ofpreventing substantial portions iofithls 'fin'ely powdered lime fromifallingzthrough. a rotating beater to the ground. without beingzactedupon 2 doneby providinga pan-beneath the conveyo in which any spilledlime is caught and propelled a-sh'ort distance towardthe i'ront ofthe:machlne by the returning'run of the conveyor. The'pan is perforated and-th'e-lime is dispersed through the perforations before 'it has traveledany great distance. Theieed or lime to the beater is adiusted:waste-"spread the desired-quantity. taking into account that "which 1isso: dispersed through the perforated pan. 'I have devised means foreliminating .the need "for I a supporting apron or pan to be located :atthe "bottom of the beater, andihavedevisedmeans tor obtaininghighly-emcient feeding of dime to: a beater :with ami-nimum otlimeloss.v

none. of the xobjrectsof my. invention, therefore, is 'to provide an:eiircient and direct lime feed 2 to the-lime beater attachment of'amanure. spreader vehicle.

Another object of my invention. is'to avoid. loss of lime between the Jlime breeder and ithe rlime beater.

istillzanother objectrof'smyinventiontis to avoid lime :spillage causedby cthe *dropping down- 0f lime on :the ground directly below thebeater.

iStillanother object of my inventicnzis' to. eliminateathe need for canapron ,pan underneath the heater between: .the :end of the "conveyor*and :the space directly under thexbeater.

Gther objects of :my invention .will become :apparent uponztheexamination of I the specification and claims.

Referring now i to the drawings,

:Fig. s1 is a plan view ofzalime .spreaderr embodying myinvention;

?Fig.f.2:ia;a sidesectionalview onlthe line 1-42 of 'Fig. .1 .of .theimproved abeater, the lime spreader, and the imeans .ior preventingilime spillage .between the path lOf the -.:beater paddles and theend ofthe conveyor;

Figdizisza;siderietailed viewof the. raddleachain conveyor and thespring .flap :attached to .the spreader boxcbottom'sjustzas :the apronangle :is ready. to star-t :itsrreturnimotion;

zFig. dis a: side :detailed view of: the raddle 'chain conveyor :showing.the spring z'flap goingrover ith'e edge of :the :conveyor .on.itsr'return, and showing how theispring fiap avoids; obstructingsthereturn of the raddle. chains apron tangle;

.:lig.:5: ista-i topview-n1 the raddlefchaimconveyor and the springflap; and

Fig. :16 -is a :perspectiwe :view 10! certain parts indicated in-Fig..2.

Referring now to the :drawings, :the :construcby the widespread. In thepast, this :has ibeen tionishownwcomprises asspreaderzbox:hmounted onthe wagon-body 2. Extending along each longitudinal side of the spreaderbox are the chain conveyors 3 and 4. At suitably spaced intervals in theconveyor chain there are provided angle iron slats 5 connecting the twochains 3 and 4. The chains may be driven by any usual step-bystepvariable speed transmission from the rear wheels of the manure spreader.An example of a satisfactory drive mechanism is that described in theHendricks et al. United States Patent No. 2,094,572.

The rear end of the conveyor extends into close proximity to a rotatingbeater 8. This beater is driven from the main sprocket wheel 9 which isattached to the rear wheel l: through a chain device in a manner similarto that described in the above patent to Hendricks et al. The rotatingbeater 8 consists of a rotatable shaft l I upon' which there aremounted, by means of spiders, the beater paddles l2 which in turn aremounted on the bars IS. The paddles I2 have portions l4 which serve toclose the space between the adjacent bars l3, thereby forming a rotarybeater having a completely enclosed inner drum.

This closed inner drum prevents lime material from dropping through openspaces in the beater down to the ground. The outer tips l5 of the beaterpaddles l2 are mounted so as to be contiguous to the hinged spring flapextension l6 which is attached to the spreader box I by means of thehinges l'l. Coil torsion springs l8 are provided which normally hold thespring flap IS in horizontal position. The purpose of the hinged springflap extension of the horizontal spreader box floor being within closeproximity or contiguous to the beater paddles is to prevent any limefrom dropping or spilling in the open space between the end of thespreader box floor and the beater paddles l2.

Referring now to'Fig. 3, which shows in side view details of theconveyor and the spring flap, it is apparent that the slat 5, which isready to return with the raddle chain 3, would be obstructed by thespreader box floor 20 if the latter were to extend substantially beyondthe sprockets axis center point 2|. In order to avoid this obstructionand at the same time enable the spreader box floor 20 to extend towithin close proximity of the beater paddles l2, the floor is the axisof the sprocket I9, it comes in contact with the spring flap l6 andcauses the'latter to swing down on its hinges and assume a verticalposition, thereby avoiding obstructing the path and return motion of theslat. As soon as the slat sheet 23 and the hollow drum beater 8 andbehas passed, the springs l8 cause the flap to go back immediately toits horizontal position. The time consumed during the interval betweenthe passage of the slat and the downward arid upward motion of thespring flap is so' short that I any possible loss of lime caused bydropping of spillage at the two points in a lime spreader where suchlime loss commonly takes place. There is still another point in a limespreader where lime losses are apt to take place. This is at the pointdirectly in front and above the rotating beater. Lime in powderedpulverized form is apt to be very dusty and fluffy, and the beatingaction of rapidly rotatin beater paddles naturally tends to throw suchdispersed material into the air withresultant losses in the form of limedust dispersing and being thrown into paths away from that for which thebeater is intended to direct it, namely, to the widespread 22 mountednext to the beater. By mounting an arched or curved deflecting surface,such as the curved metal sheet surface shown as 23, such limo losses areeliminated and any lime dust tending to escape is deflected back to therotating beater.

By having the combined features of a closed beater drum, an arched metalsurface deflecting any lime dust thrown up in front or on top of therotating beater and the floor extension in the form of a spring flapextending from the end of the spreader box floor at the rear apron shaftaxis to within a position contiguous to the outer fringes of the beaterpaddles, I create a lime feeding and lime dispersing system foragricultural lime spreading purposes which operates with a minimum oflime loss and lime spillage. In operation, lime at the front of thespreader box I which rests on the spreader box floor 20 is moved towardsthe rear of the apron box by means of the slats 5 mounted on theconveyor chains 3 and 4. As the lime reaches the end of the spreader boxfloor, it continues to move rearwardly on the spring flap attached tothe floor and is finally picked up by the rotating beater paddles l2. Asthe lime is lifted by the rotating heater 8, any lime dust formed isdirected by the curved deflecting sheet 23 which extends from the frontto the top of the beater 8 and is delivered to the wide spread rotor 22,the sides of the spreader extending rearwardly adjacent the ends of thepaddles [2 as shown at 24 (Figs. 1 and 2) to prevent the lime caught upin the channels formed by the blades from falling out at the ends of thechannels. The lifted lime from the beater 8 is then fed or thrown to thelime spreader 22. The latter then operates in the usual manner to spreadpulverized lime over a wide area of earth as the spreader moves forward.Any lime which gets onto the rotating beater 8 but does not succeed inbeing lifted by the paddles l2 falls back to the spreader box bottom orto the hinged shelf extension spring flap 16, but substantially no limefalls down through the spreader box shelf to be lost in the groundunderneath. It will be seen that the pulverized lime is substantiallyconfined on all sides in its passage from the bottom of the spreader boxto its delivery to the wide spreader rotor 22 between the curveddeflecting tween the extension 24 of the spreader box.

By means of my improvements it is not necessary to have any apron 0r panbelow the lime beater 8 to catch spilled lime nor to have means fordispersing this spilled lime beneath the spreader box. This means aconsiderable saving in metal that would be used for such apronattachment.

While I have described particular means for obtaining eflicient limefeeding and lime spreadin with a minimum of lime loss or lime spillage,I do not limit myself to such specific means. It is obvious that otherequivalent means may be used to carry out the spirit of this invention.

' Iclaim:

1. In a lime spreader of the character de scribed the combinationcomprising a rotating beaterequipped with beater paddles, a rotatingspreaderlfor receiving the lime from the beater,

means forifeeding lime to saidcrotating beater flexible endless membersand spaced. deed. slats extending between said members for deliveringlimetosaid beater,=-and means for avoiding lime spillage between the endof said conveyor and said rotating beater, said "means comprising ahinge-attached floor extension extending, from the edge of thespreader-box fioqrand contiguous to the path of the beaters rotatingpaddles, said floor extension being in thepa'th of the slats which causeitto move out of the way as the slatsimove aboutrthe rear axis of theconveyor to a :vertical non-obstructive position, and spring means forreturning said hinged floor=extension after idisengagement by saidslats, "z r" 2. A-spreader for .limeor the like comprising a limereceptacle, an endless conveyor, one run of which travels over the floorof said receptacle, said conveyor comprising a pair of spaced flexibleendless members and spaced feed slats extending between and secured tosaid endless members, a hinged floor extension member movably mountedadjacent the rear end of said conveyor in the path of said slats andengaged by said slats in their movement and moved out of the path ofsaid slats by said slats, energy storing biasing means for returningsaid floor extension to floor-extending position when disengaged by saidslats, and a rotary beater to which said conveyor delivers the lime,said floor extension extending to a, position adjacent the path of saidrotary heater.

3. A spreader for lime or the like comprising a lime receptacle, aconveyor, one run of which travels over the floor of said receptacle, arotary beater to which said conveyor delivers the lime, a widespreadrotor to which the beater delivers the lime, bafile and shield meansextending in front of and above said beater for regulating the feed fromthe conveyor and deflecting the lime expelled from the beater toward thewidespread rotor, said beater comp-rising a hollow cylinderliketransversely-extending shell member in the rear of the conveyor having aplurality of transversely and radially extending paddles for carryingthe lime upwardly from the conveyor and between the bailie and shieldmeans, said paddles extending substantially from one end to the other ofsaid shell and being of substantially uniform cross section, said shellmember and paddles being substantially impervious to the passage of limetherethrough and therebetween whereby substantially all of the lime fedrearwardly by the conveyor to the rotary beater is carried upwardly andrearwardly by the paddles and shell member underneath said bafile andshield means and delivered to said widespread rotor.

4. A spreader for lime or the like comprising a lime receptacle, aconveyor, one run of which travels over the floor of said receptacle, arotary beater to which said conveyor delivers the lime, a widespreadrotor to which the beater delivers the lime, baflle and shield meansextending in front of and above said beater for regulating the feed fromthe conveyor and deflecting the lime expelled from the beater toward thewidespread rotor, said beater comprising a hollow cylinder-liketransversely-extending shell memac ber intharear .of conveyor.havinmmplurallty ,of transversely. and radi'allyiextending for carryingthe lime upwardlyifroin the conv eyor and between the baffle and' shieldlnicans sflid shell member comprising. a ,pair; of end'jsple fders, aplurality of transversely-extending,

lcumferentially-spaced .,'}angle,', irons extending between and secured,to',s'aid lspidersieach angle iron having one, leg extending -.circumier entiallyand the other extending radially, said paddles being securedto said radially extending legs, said paddles extending substantiallyfrom battle and shield. means rand deliverednto said widespread rotor, 1f, l 5. A spreader. for lime, or the-like comprisingla lime receptacle,a conveyor, one run of which travels over the floor of said receptacle,a rotary beater to which said conveyor delivers the lime, a widespreadrotor to which the beater delivers the lime, bafile and shield meansextending in front of and above said beater for regulating the feed fromthe conveyor and deflecting the lime expelled from the beater toward thewidespread rotor, said beater comprising a hollow cylinderliketransversely-extending shell member in the rear of the conveyor having aplurality of transversely and radially extending paddles for carryingthe lime upwardly from the conveyor and between the bafile and shieldmeans, said shell member comprising a air of end spiders, a plurality oftransversely-extending circumferentially-spaced angle irons extendingbetween and secured to said spiders, each angle iron having one legextending circumferentially and the other extending radially, saidpaddles being secured to said radially extending legs, and the spacebetween adjacent angle irons being bridged by sheet metal elements, saidpaddles extending substantially from one end to the other of said shelland being of substantially uniform cross section, said shell member andpaddles being substantially impervious to the passage of limetherethrough and therebetween whereby substantially all of the lime fedrearwardly by the conveyor to the rotary beater is carried upwardly andrearwardly by the paddles and shell member underneath said baffle andshield means and delivered to said widespread rotor.

6. A spreader for lime or the like comprising a lime receptacle, aconveyor, one run of which travels over the floor of said receptacle, arotary beater to which said conveyor delivers the lime, a widespreadrotor to which the beater delivers the lime, baille and shield meansextending in front of and above said beater for regulating the feed fromthe conveyor and deflecting the lime expelled from the beater toward thewidespread rotor, said beater comprising a, hollow cylinderliketransversely-extending shell member in the rear of the conveyor having aplurality of transversely and radially extending paddles for carryingthe lime upwardly from the conveyor and between the ballie and shieldmeans, said shell member comprising a pair of end spiders, a pluralityof transversely-extending circumferentiallyspaced angle irons extendingbetween and secured to said spiders, each angle iron having one legextending circumferentially and the other extending radially, saidpaddles being secured to said radially extending legs, the space betweenadjacent angle irons being bridged by sheet metal elements, and theadvance edge of each sheet metal element being offset outwardly withrespect to the angle of the angle iron, said paddles extendingsubstantially from one end to the other of said shell and being ofsubstantially uniform cross section, said shell member and paddles beingsubstantially impervious to the passage of lime therethrough andtherebetween whereby substantially all of the lime fed rearwardly by theconveyor to the rotary heater is carried upwardly and rearwardly by thepaddles and shell member underneath said battle and shield means anddelivered to said widespread rotor.

' 7. A material spreader for carrying and distributing material over theground comprising a. material receptacle having a floor extending fromfront to rear, an endless conveyor, one run of which travels over thefloor of said receptacle, said conveyor comprising a pair of spacedflexible endless members and spaced teed slats extending between andsecured to said endless members, a hinged floor extension member movablymounted adjacent the rear end of said conveyor in the path of said slatsand engaged by said slats in their movement and moved out of the path ofsaid slats by said slats, and energy storing biasing means for returningsaid floor extension to floor-extending position when disengaged by saidslats.

JOHN M. MARKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,282,854 Kemp Oct. 29, 19181,820,528 Claar Aug. 25, 1931 1,856,417 Hyland May 3, 1932 1,900,299Oppenheim Mar. 7, 1933 2,094,572 Hendricks et al. Sept. 28, 1937

